Repair Work Begins atDamaged Bonneville Fish Ladder

by Eric Florip
The Columbian, October 5, 2011

Crews this week began repair work on a damaged fish ladder at the Bonneville Lock and Dam, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced.

Erosion occurred during sustained high water on the Columbia River earlier this year. That caused damage near the spillway under the fish ladder that flows past the Bradford Island Visitor Center, according to the corps.

Workers will dewater the fish ladder while structural repairs are made. The work is being done by James W. Fowler Co. of Dallas, Ore., which was awarded a $975,000 contract by the corps.

Fish ladders on the north and south side of the Columbia remain open for fish migration, according to the corps. Repairs to the damaged section of the dam are planned for completion by the end of October.